ASGE Policy Statement on Physician Practice Restriction

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) believes that health care delivery models, including models for the delivery of gastrointestinal endoscopic therapies, should facilitate access to affordable quality health care. The achievement of a patient-centered system of American health care has been impeded by redundant and complex administrative systems that frustrate both patients in seeking, and physicians in delivering, high quality medical care.

ASGE stands for enhancing the physician-patient relationship and opposes policies that interfere with patient-focused physician decision-making.  Prior authorization, step therapy requirements, and other care delivery impediments imposed as a condition of coverage or payment interfere with optimal treatment choices and unnecessarily delay appropriate and effective treatment or tests, adding layers and cost to the health care delivery system.

Cost containment is a central tenant of innovative payment and delivery design, including Medicare’s Quality Payment Program. With that in mind, physicians should be empowered use health care resources wisely, as well as improved care coordination, which requires modernization of the Stark and anti-kickback laws to support innovative strategies to streamline care.

ASGE believes in open and transparent engagement between the physician community and payers to promote positive and sustainable change in our health care system that places patients first and maximizes the opportunities for physicians to provide high-quality care.  ASGE will work with partners in the medical community and federal agencies and commercial payers to minimize physician practice restrictions that merely increase administrative burden without evidence of promoting good patient outcomes. 

Approved by the ASGE Governing Board May 2019